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Spotlight Shines On Some Bad Mothers And A 'Nation' Of Enlightening Children

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 11, 2007

Wednesday night we look at the dark side of parenthood and the bright side of childhood on the debut of two reality series and the finale of another.

"Kid Nation," which came in with a controversial bang, goes out with a so-what whimper.

On the finale at 8 on CBS, viewers will learn which youngsters win gold stars and cash prizes for being good citizens. There are heartfelt moments and tears when the kids reflect upon what they have learned.

Debuting at 9 on The CW is "Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants," on which mother-daughter teams compete for a $100,000 prize and the pride of victory.

At 10, the WE network introduces "Party Mamas," a series about mothers who go all out to throw parties for their offspring.

Also, Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares" wraps up its first season at 9, and "America's Next Top Model" crowns a winner at 8 on The CW.

BAD VIBES: Before "Kid Nation" debuted in August, there was a flap about the mere concept, which involved letting 40 children, ages 8 to 15, spend 40 days running their own society in a former New Mexico ghost town.

There were accusations that producers had exploited them and possibly skirted child labor laws. Some questioned the health, safety and education of the kids, who were missing school and living without parental supervision.

One disgruntled parent complained because her child was slightly injured in an accident. And there were reports that some of the kids were coached and given lines. But the concerns turned out to be much ado about nothing. The kids were not overworked. There were adults around at all times to offer comfort and care, if needed. Only three homesick kids left the group.

Setting up their own government and education system, cooking meals and doing chores turned out to be an eye-opening learning experience for the children — and viewers.

"Kid Nation" developed a loyal following of adults older than 35 and young viewers ages 2 to 17, but it didn't click with the 18- to 35-year-old crowd advertisers love. CBS has not announced whether there will be a second season.

Producer Tom Foreman says it was a noble experiment that could have had better ratings without the early controversy.

MOMMY DEAREST: "Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants" seems more contrived than real. It alternates between tacky and sentimentally sappy. One mother calls The CW show the "most life-changing event" in her tragedy-filled life.

But winning the $100,000 prize won't make these ladies any smarter, and some of the 11 teams are jaw-droppingly stupid and superficial.

Bad hair and bad attitudes are on display each week as moms and daughters face challenges. Judges are Carson Kressley of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"; former beauty queen Shanna Moakler; and Cynthia Garrett, a former VH1 host turned actress.

The first challenge is to come up with a team name and costume.

The Tomboy Queens come off as the "Ugly Bettys" of the group, and the Redheaded Bombshells are downright scary.

The Blonde Bombshells are not the sharpest knives in the drawer, and the Dream Gals (mother Gina and Hollis) are so down-to-earth that they merge as the early favorites.

And then there is the Silent But Deadly pair, who picked the name because they see themselves as quiet types who are often underestimated. Oblivious to the popular meaning for that phrase, they are shocked when Kressley enlightens them.

Meantime, motherhood takes it on the chin on WE's "Party Mamas," which is about moms behaving badly. First up is Party Monster Lisa, who plans a lavish Bar Mitzvah party for her son Mitchell. Imagine Mitchell's shock and horror when Lisa struts out her surprise song and dance number.

In the coming weeks, "Party Mamas" will feature a $65,000 birthday party for a 14-year-old; a 9-year-old whose mom gets the New York Yankees to attend his birthday; and a $30,000 pirate-themed party on a ship complete with sword swinging swashbucklers.

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